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Blue Ridge Parkway
Just one scene along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Courtesy National Park Service.
Associate Pages
To the 1930s
Shenandoah
Cumberland Gap
Great Smoky Mountains
Appalachian Trail
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Visitor Statistics
14,976,085 visitors
Blue Ridge Parkway
#2 Most Visited National Park Unit
Source: NPS 2019 Visitor Stats among 378 ranked units.
Park Size
83,629 acres (Federal); 93,872 acres (Total)
Park Fee
Free
Weather
The weather along the 500 miles of parkway varies widely due to the change in elevation from the James River lowlands to the mountain ridges. Check you local weather report for the most current conditions.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Yes, it's a road, a parkway, a path through some of the nation's most beautiful scenery in North Carolina and Virginia plus jumping off point to history. And it comes as sort of a shock to most when you state that the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited National Park unit (hard to say a site, because it includes a whole bunch of them) virtually every year. Photo above courtesy America's Best History.
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Blue Ridge Parkway
Prior to World War I, entrepreneurs began work on the scenic road as a private means to boost business. Today it includes almost five hundred miles weaving through the heritage of the Appalachian region from Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There are so many different visitor centers, cabins, mills, farms, and other vistas to see along this extraordinary journey that you could take a day to see some or weeks to explore them all. The opportunities are aplenty, from hiking to camping, birdwatching, nature walks, and more. They cover the lowlands around the James River, only 650 feet above sea level, and rise to 6,050 feet in the mountains of North Carolina. The parkway travels through four national forests; Jefferson, George Washington, Pisgah, and Nantahala. And if you love tunnels, there are twenty-six of them along the way. Check for height requirements if your vehicle warrants.
Land along the Blue Ridge Parkway - When you look down from the road, you'll see a variety of landscapes, some of which seem very similar to those shown in the 1940 photo of a farm along the parkway at the top of the page or the view of the family sightseeing along the parkway above.
From the history of the Indian tribes in the area; Cherokee, Monacan, Saponi, and Tutelo, to the European settlements. You can see the historic remnants of those settlements all along the road from Johnson Farm at Peaks of Otter, the Jesse Brown Farmstead, and the cabins of Puckett, Brinegar, Caudill, and more. There are industrial history locations as well, with the Mabry Mill, for example, showing a blacksmith shop, whiskey still, and the mill.
Photo above: Visitors enjoying the parkway views in the 1940s. Courtesy National Park Service.
Minute Walk in History
Less a walk than a gander at the beauty of driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains and seeing the awesome sight of those blue mountains in the distance at sunset or with the sunrise mist blanketing the treetops. There's places to hike, to camp, to visit from the Appalachian past and the Appalachian present. Okay, so you can only drive 45 miles per hour. You're not here to make time, you're here to reflect God's nature mostly unspoiled by man.
Blue Ridge Parkway Now
Over 15 million people saunter down the parkway through Virginia and North Carolina to visit the history, to see the changing of fall colors (mid-October is usually the best time to see those colors, but it varies along the route), and to step back into a time when a ride down the road didn't include four or six lanes, or driving at maximum speed so that you could get to your destination sooner. On the Blue Ridge Parkway, your destination, many times, is the drive and the road itself. Go slow and take in the sights.
Blue Ridge Parkway Historic Buildings - The land along the parkway has been home to settlers, mountaineers, Indian tribes, and vacationers for many years. Along the path you can see grist mills, farm houses, cabins, and other historic buildings. The parkway and its buildings, plus vistas, provide a panoply of Appalachian history. Other Natural Features Along the Parkway (North to South) - Sherango Lake, Crabtree Falls, Tye River Gap, Wigwam Falls, the James River, Cave Mountain Lake, Fallingwaters Cascades, Sugarloaf Mountain, Stewarts Creek Wildlife Management Area, Fox Hunters Paradise, Cascades Trail, Daniel Boone's Trace, Linn Cove Viaduct, Mount Mitchell (the highest point east of the Mississippi River at 6,684 feet high), Lake Powhatan, Cold Mountain, and so many more its almost impossible to list.
T-Shirts and Souvenirs
Blue Ridge Parkway T-Shirts and Souvenirs from the official merchandise of America's Best History.
Blue Ridge Parkway
Things You Should Not Miss
1. Take a ride. You thought we were going to say anything else. The main purpose of your journey down the Blue Ridge Parkway is to take a leisurely ride down the beautiful path it takes along the mountains, and valleys, of the Virginia and North Carolina landscape. Along the way there will be plenty to see, and visitor centers to stop at. But enjoy the ride. If you've really got to be going somewhere fast, take another route.
2. Take a walk. There are many trails spreading from the various waysides, attractions, and mileposts of the parkway. How many trails and how far? Well, in total there are three hundred and sixty-nine miles of trails, and they range from the short interpretive kind to the Appalachian Trail and Mountains to Sea Trail.
3. Check in at one of the many visitor centers and attractions. Many of the locations have walks and talks on their specific topics that are a treat to listen to.
Photo above: Trailhead to Cedar Ridge and Bluffs Mountain in Doughton Park, site of the Brinegar Cabin. Courtesy National Park Service. Center: Brinegar Cabin, located at Milepost 238.5 in Doughton Park. Cabin was built as a family farmstead in the late 1800s and now serves as an interpretive site with four buildings. Courtesy National Park Service. Below: Another view from the parkway. Courtesy National Park Service.
Visitor FAQ
What's There Now
Visitor Centers - There are five visitor centers in Virginia and six visitor centers along the parkway in North Carolina. Other attractions along the way include visitor services as well.
Virginia
Humpback Roads Visitor Center - Milepost 5.8. Includes museum of 19th century logged buildings, and access to the Appalachian Trail.
James River Visitor Center - Milepost 60. Area includes restored canal locks, hiking trails along Otter Creek, and a restaurant.
Peaks of Otter Visitor Center - Milepost 86. Area includes 1930s restored Johnson Farm, Appalachian Trail access, the Jefferson National Forest, and other trails.
Rocky Knob Visitor Center - Milepost 167. Included in area is the Mabry Mill, a working grist mill.
Blue Ridge Music Center - Milepost 215. Visitor Center, Amphitheatre, and Museum.
North Carolina
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park Visitor Center - Milepost 295. Visitor and Craft centers.
Linville Falls Visitor Center - Milepost 317. Acess to the first and most popular wilderness area in the USA.
Museum of North Carolina Minerals - Milepost 331. Visitor center and museum on geology.
Craggy Gardens Visitor Center - Milepost 364.
Folk Art Center/Visitor Center - Milepost 380. Near Asheville and the park headquarters.
Waterrock Knob Visitor Center - Milepost 451. Visitor Center near the park's highest elevation. Close to the Cherokee Reservation and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Lodging and Camping
The Blue Ridge Parkway includes four lodges and eight developed campgrounds. There are also many other lodging and camping opportunities in the towns just off the road.
Lodging
Peaks of Otter Lodge, Milepost 86. Year round. Includes seasonal programs.
Rocky Knob Cabins, Milepost 174. May through fall season. Small rustic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Bluffs Lodge, Milepost 240, Doughton Park. May through fall season. Hiking trails.
Pisgah Inn, Milepost 408.6. Spring through fall season. At 5,000 feet elevation.
Photo above: Mill with waterwheel, one of the scenes along the parkway. Courtesy Library of Congress. Center: Rest area with picnic tables, grills, and restrooms. There is running water here, too. Courtesy America's Best History. Below: Church along parkway, David Haas, Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy Library of Congress.
Camping
Otter Creek, Milepost 61. Near James River.
Peaks of Otter, Milepost 86. Near Abbott Lake and Johnson Farm. Great trails.
Roanoke Mountain, Milepost 120. We're not sure whether this campground is now closed or closed for repair, but do not count on this campground as an option for now.
Rocky Knob, Milepost 167. Near Rockcastle Gorge.
Doughton Park, Milepost 241. Near Basin Cove.
Julian Price Park, Milepost 297. Largest campground on parkway.
Linville Falls, Milepost 316. Along Linville River. Trail system.
Crabtree Meadows, Milepost 340. Near Crabtree Falls Trail
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Mt. Pisgah, Milepost 408. Highest elevation campground. Fomerly part of the Vanderbilt Estate.
Primitive Camping
Yes, there are those nine campgrounds spread along the parkway, but sometimes they can get filled during peak travel seasons. If you wish to try primitive camping anywhere within Pisgah National Forest (where the parkway is located), there's official backcountry camping at Rock Castle Gorge near Rocky Knob, MP 167.1, Basin Cove near Doughton Park, MP 239.2, Johns River Road near Julian Price Park, MP 296.9. Experienced campers at Pisgah will tell you that primitive camping is allowed anywhere five hundred yards off the parkway. Don't take our word, ask someone official. The parkway goes through four national forests as noted before, they often have different regulations.
Photo above: Old barn along the parkway, just one of the bucolic sites as you drive. Courtesy National Park Service. Below: Red barn along the southern end of the parkway, 2017, Carol M. Highsmith. Courtesy Library of Congress.
